Colombia’s labor union federations will take a proposal for a 38.5 percent increase in the 2027 minimum wage to the negotiating table, former Central Unitaria de Trabajadores (CUT) president Fabio Arias said. Arias made the remarks to Emisora Atlántico days after a 13 October session of the Subcommission on the 2027 minimum wage at the Ministry of Labour.
Arias said workers are owed a 32-percentage-point gap on top of inflation, which he put at about 6.5 percent. Together, he said, that amounts to the 38.5 points the unions are demanding. Unions will carry the figure into the Comisión Nacional de Concertación, which brings together employers, workers and the national government.
How the figure compares with other estimates
A La República poll of guilds pointed to an increase between 8 and 9.5 percent, based on inflation and productivity criteria. Analysts do not rule out a rise of 10 percent in the negotiations.
Government signals consensus
Vice minister Juliana Morad said the diversity of opinions among workers, employers and government could produce a solid and lasting consensus. She gave no figure.
The Subcommission is part of the Comisión Permanente de Concertación de Políticas Salariales y Laborales.
Related: Hungary weighs 6 percent minimum wage rise for 2027
